Pre-Campaign (sent by Company - not United Way)

Subject: United Way Campaign

Welcome to <Company’s Name> 2020 United Way campaign. Each year you have the opportunity to engage in a meaningful way and create positive change in our community! This year, we are supporting the United Way Campaign to raise the funds needed to help our neighbors and learn about the multitude of ways to support our community. Together we will explore five different issues in our community including Equity, COVID-19, Health, Education, and Financial Stability. You will receive a message each day that explores the issue and provides you with options to engage by giving, advocating, volunteering and exploring.

For nearly 100 years, United Way of Washtenaw County has been connecting people, resources and organizations together to create a thriving community for everyone. They bring solutions to our County’s most pressing social challenges, which they do with the support of community members like you.

View their Campaign Video to hear from United Way of Washtenaw County’s Campaign Chair Brandon Tucker and learn how United Way is working in our community Link to Campaign Video:

(insert any additional corporate info that you would like to encourage your team to participate, incentives, campaign start and end dates, etc.)

Thank you for standing with me in support of our community.

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Email One: Equity and Opportunity Subject: United Way Campaign: Part One Equity and Opportunity

GIVE TODAY BUTTON United Way of Washtenaw County has a vision that by 2030 your zip code will no longer predict your opportunity in life. At present in Washtenaw County, it does. In Washtenaw County, 39% of households are struggling to afford basic necessities like housing, child care, food, transportation, and technology, according to the 2019 ALICE Report by the Michigan

Association of United Ways. These households, also known as ALICE – Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but not enough to cover the basic cost of living, called the ALICE threshold, in their counties. A parent within an ALICE household has to make hard choices daily on basic necessities – “Do I pay rent or buy food? Do I get the prescription or pay the preschool bill?” We think that in the County that is home to the most educated city in America, we can do better. We know that where you live and where children are raised can have a strong influence on opportunity. We also know that when these factors are combined with race, people of color are disproportionately impacted. United Way seeks to advance equity and opportunity in the grants we make. For us, this means prioritizing the communities that have the most to gain, and investing in the organizations who are closest to people and neighborhoods most impacted by inequity. In 2019,

93% of grants addressed socioeconomic equity

85% of grants addressed racial inequity

88% of capacity building grants supported leaders of color

78% of grants supported services in 48187/98 – geographies that have the most to gain

Ways to support Equity and Opportunity: Give: Pledge today and help us to lift up people and groups most impacted by inequity of opportunity in our community. Pledge Now.Advocate: An advocate sounds like a very official word, but all it means is a supporter, an ally, or someone who stands up for another. Learn more about how to make the case for a more equitable workplace through this publication, “The Business Case for Race Equity in Michigan” Volunteer: Join a movement, like the Racial & Economic Justice Task Force hosted by the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice, the local chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice or Survivors Speak. Explore: Take the full 21-Day Equity Challenge.This is a self-guided, private, learning journey where participants explore topics like structural racism, segregation, and privilege to open up dialogue on how we can be champions of equity in our personal and professional lives.PLEDGE NOW BUTTON

Email Two: Our Response to COVID-19Subject: United Way Campaign: Part Two COVID-19GIVE TODAY BUTTON

The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on the disproportionately high number of deaths in the black community. In an interview with Jimena Loveluck, the Washtenaw County Health Officer shared “We know viruses do not discriminate based on location, race, ethnicity, or national origin. However, viruses

like COVID-19 can highlight health disparities that are deeply rooted in our society.” In Washtenaw County, 40% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients as of July 2020 were black, even though they only make up 12% of the county’s residents. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Washtenaw County, United Way established the COVID-19 Community Relief Fund to support local nonprofits and community groups working with populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic faced with immediate, emergent and unanticipated community needs. In Washtenaw County, we raised $1,050,000 and then swiftly invested $1,050,000 into the community. Click here for a full listing of the agencies and programs who received support.Investments made by COVID-19 Relief Fund:

Now, United Way is building for a better, more equitable and more resilient community. United Way doesn’t want to get “back to normal.” Normal wasn’t working for millions of people, and old and broken systems won’t fix those challenges. We established the COVID-19 Community Recovery Fund to provide ongoing support to recovery efforts of local human service nonprofits, community groups and United Way of Washtenaw County. Our goal? Help providers return their operations to “steady state” and ensure continued support to populations most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to view grant investments made from the Recovery Fund.

Ways to support: Give: Make your pledge today, and help us build a more equitable and resilient community. Pledge NowAdvocate: Our lived experiences are shaped by institutions and policies. Public policy advocacy is one way to shift the policies and institutional practices that keep problems in place. Click here to sign up to receive future action alerts from us! Volunteer: Purchase any of the items here that can be donated to local agencies on the front lines (link to Target (or another site) where they can purchase supplies online and have them shipped to UWWC)Explore: Take the 5-Day Equity Challenge: COVID-19 Edition . This version of the Equity Challenge is designed to help participants understand the link between structural and systemic racism and why people of color have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

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Email Three: HealthSubject: United Way Campaign: Part Three HealthGIVE TODAY BUTTON According to the NY Times 1619 Project, “racial health disparities are as foundational as democracy itself.” Healthcare costs make up a significant portion of a household’s annual budget, placing additional stress on families that may or may not have insurance and access to quality care. In developing the 2019 ALICE Report, the most significant driver of increases in the Household Survival Budget from 2010 to 2017 was health care costs, including an average 59 percent increase in out-of-pocket costs. Did you know? In Washtenaw County at present…

We want to live in a community where everyone, regardless of income, can access health care. United Way supports programs that provide primary care, dental care, mental health care, and substance use disorder supports to people with low incomes.

The FamilyWize Community Service Partnership is working with United Way to help people in our county to get their much-needed prescription medications they otherwise wouldn't be able to afford. This service is not restricted to people with low incomes or those with an existing health insurance policy. Check it out to see if you may benefit from this resource.

Ways to support Health in our Community Give: Make your pledge today, and help us support agencies and programs that provide access to health care. Pledge NowAdvocate: 1) Learn how to be your own health care advocate by clicking here. 2) Sign up for future advocacy alerts from us by clicking here.Volunteer: Use Volunteer Washtenaw to check out a host of virtual volunteer opportunities available with local nonprofits that champion health equity. Check them out by clicking here. Explore: Watch David. R Williams, a public health sociologist, on the TED stage discuss why race and deep-rooted systemic racism have such a profound impact on health.PLEDGE NOW BUTTON

Email Four: EducationSubject: United Way Campaign: Part Four EducationGIVE TODAY BUTTON From infancy through high school, children's educational outcomes are dependent on the quality of their learning experience. Studies show that children from families with low incomes enter high school with literacy skills 5 years behind and are over 4 times more likely to drop out than those from high-income families. Education is a lifelong experience that begins well before a child ever sets foot in a classroom and continues long past a cap and gown commencement. It is the broadest avenue to ‐ ‐opportunity and the most influential factor in ensuring that children will grow up to do as well or better than their parents.Did you know? Inequities in education start early with lifelong impacts on children and communities. This gap in opportunity is not due to individual actions, but rather on present social and economic conditions.

High quality child care is costly – an average married couple in Michigan spends 22% of their annual income on childcare. Consider how the high cost of care acts as a barrier to a family living in poverty’s access to high quality programs for their children.

Researchers have found that “the persistence of the educational achievement gap imposes on the United States the economic equivalent of a permanent national recession” (McKinsey & Company 2009, 6).

United Way’s goal is for all children to enter school ready to succeed, increase the high school graduation rate and ensure youth feel physically and emotionally safe. We fund programs that build parenting skills and provide high quality childcare, programs that intervene and support economically-disadvantaged youth with a focus on tutoring, attendance, and educational advocacy, and programs that provide security and support for youth outside of school.Ways to support Education: Give: Make your pledge today, and help us support agencies and programs that ensure education outcomes and support our youth. You can give directly to United Way and/or you can give to any 501©3 of your choice through your pledge. Pledge NowAdvocate: Learn more about how to be an education advocate for children in your community by checking out this resource and this resource designed specifically for parents. Volunteer: Nonprofits need technical assistance now more than ever. You can volunteer your skills, as an individual or a group to support local nonprofit projects ranging from marketing plans to financial health assessments through Catchafire. The best part? It’s 100 percent virtual. Check out local projects here. Explore: Black students who have one black teacher by third grade are 13 percent more likely to enroll in college. Listen to the WEMU Washtenaw United interview with ‘Black Men Read’ an Ypsilanti based nonprofit promoting the power of storytelling and literacy in children.

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Email Five: Financial StabilitySubject: United Way Campaign: Day Five Financial StabilityGIVE TODAY BUTTON

Have you worried about making ends meet? Did you know Washtenaw ranks 81st of 83 Michigan counties in terms of income inequality? The economic (im)mobility of our community members is clear and striking in terms of income inequality, with significant disparities between the top and bottom quintiles of incomes. Median income for Black households is $36K compared to $45K for Hispanic and $68K for White households. As the racial wealth gap continues to grow in America, working households are struggling to meet their daily needs and finding it difficult to build wealth through savings, investments, or home ownership.

The goal of United Way’s financial stability work is to help move people towards greater financial self-sufficiency and away from the safety-net services that are used during crisis situations.Did you know? United Way offers FREE Financial Coaching, Financial Navigation Services, and Tax Preparation for people with low to moderate incomes in our County. Ways to support Financial Stability: Give: Make your pledge today to support our Financial Stability programs and services. Pledge Now

Advocate: Complete the 2020 Census. COVID-19 has revealed that programs like school lunches, MI Child, and special education need your help to get the most funding possible. The new deadline date of the Census 2020 count is September 30th. There are 3 ways to respond to the 2020 Census from the comfort of your own home - online, by phone or by returning the paper questionnaire. Visit 2020census.gov to learn more & fill out your census online . Volunteer: Become a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Volunteer for the next tax seasonExplore: Read about Shonda’s journey from financial precarity to stability through a partnership with United Way of Washtenaw County’s financial coaches.PLEDGE NOW BUTTON